JOIN USBU to remove ‘illegal’ name board from library, put up ‘legal one’
Bangalore University will remove the board put up last month by “unauthorised persons” naming the library building after Dr B R Ambedkar. It will, however, formally name the building after the chief architect of the Constitution.
The seemingly contradictory decision was taken by the university syndicate on Tuesday.
On April 13, when the university was closed for Ugadi, some people had discreetly put up the board at the library building. University authorities learnt about it the next day. They said that while they were not opposed to lending Ambedkar’s name to the library, they condemned the “unauthorised” manner in which that was done.
Such matters need to be placed before the syndicate, a senior university official said. The university later announced that the matter would indeed be discussed by the syndicate. “Since it was a sensitive decision, we had to place it before the syndicate. Now that the syndicate has taken a decision, we will act accordingly,” the official told DH.
A syndicate member said, “None of us was against naming the library building after Dr Ambedkar. Our only concern was to stop such unauthorised activities on the campus. For now, the name board will be removed and a police complaint will be filed. Later, the university will name it in memory of Dr Ambedkar at a formal event.”
University authorities and syndicate members feel that if they let go of the matter, it would embolden the miscreants. “If we let go of this, people will take the campus for granted. That is why the syndicate has decided to file a criminal complaint against the miscreants who touched the university property.”
A similar controversy had erupted in May 2019 after an idol of Buddha was placed in the administrative block shortly after a statue of Saraswati was removed for restoration. The incident created a week-long chaos at the university and resulted in an inquiry by the higher education department.